


Here's Lookin' At You!

by thejewelstateofmind



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Happy April Fool's Day, M/M, Oneshot, Pining Draco Malfoy, Secretly Pining Harry Potter, newspaper messages, newspaper shoutouts, tabloid section
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-02
Updated: 2016-04-02
Packaged: 2018-05-30 16:54:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6432613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thejewelstateofmind/pseuds/thejewelstateofmind
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Draco is pleasantly surprised but conflicted when Pansy shows him that someone by the pseudonym of 'Green-eyed Guy' has the hots for him and wants to meet up.</p><p>What's Draco to do about this when he's still pining after Harry bloody Potter?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Here's Lookin' At You!

**Author's Note:**

> April Fool's is done here in Aus but I wanted to honour the Australian mX newspaper which I just found out was shut down. This is one section in it that I always liked reading: “Here’s Looking At You: In which readers write messages to people on public transport to whom they are attracted, in the hope that they will reply and arrange a date, or just to anonymously compliment them.”
> 
> I skipped the replying part though. 
> 
> Enjoy!

“Oh my god. O-hoooo, my god!” Pansy gasped and giggled from her corner in Draco’s room.  
  
“ _What_ , Pansy, for Merlin’s sake? You’re 18, please giggle like a little girl elsewhere,” Draco said, offhandedly, trying to focus on the novel in his hands.  
  
“Someone likes you,” Pansy said innocently.  
  
Draco merely raised one brow at her in question.  
  
She laid the tabloid she was reading in front of him—Draco didn’t recognise it—and tapped her finger to a section titled _Here’s Lookin’ At You!_  
  
“Read ‘Blonde Babe’,” Pansy said just as his eyes caught on the words.  
  
**  
****BLONDE BABE: To the tall blonde guy with the  
** **incredible arse and a hot resting bitch face**  
**who was shopping around Diagon Alley yday,**  
**fancy a drink or dinner w/ me tomorrow,**  
**7pm @ The Leaky?** **  
****\- Green-eyed Guy.** **  
****  
**  
Draco frowned. “I can’t help but feel insulted— _hot resting bitch face,_ really? This is a joke,” he said with a roll of his eyes even though he was flattered about the  _incredible arse_ comment.  
  
Pansy scoffed. “I think it’s romantic, and a little bit amusing. A daft fellow catching a glimpse of our infamous Draco Malfoy and not only seemingly _not_ knowing who you are, but having the gall to hit you up through a tabloid that you wouldn’t even have read otherwise had I not been with you. That’s _hot,_ ” she smirked and wiggled her brows playfully.  
  
Draco wasn’t having any of it.  
  
“Well, too bad for him, I’m not interested,” Draco dismissed and went back to reading.  
  
“Oh please, we both know you’re flattered right now. I also know you’re still arse over tits for Potter but go out and meet someone else, will you? This bloke has _green eyes_ , Draco. Sure, it may not be Potter’s green eyes but you could learn to like _this_ guy’s green eyes and the rest of him, and his personality—although your standards are based on Potter and that’s a lot to live up to. Mustn't kid yourself though, Harry Potter is a bit daft, the only way you two could happen is if you went up to him and snogged him silly and he snogged you back in acceptance.”  
  
Draco was glaring at Pansy all through her little spiel, basically pointing out how even though Draco was still secretly pining after Harry bloody Potter, his chances with him were infinitesimal.  
  
“Are you telling me to use this guy as a replacement for Potter?” He asked.  
  
Pansy looked horrified. “Draco, how could you be so cold-blooded!” she scolded with a dramatic gasp. “I’m really not. I’m just saying give this guy a chance. It’s not his fault he has green eyes but you really can’t rule out green-eyed guys just because they’re not _Potter._ ”  
  
Draco frowned again. He didn’t feel comfortable with the idea that someone had hit him up through a newspaper (what were the chances he’d even see it), and it was simply unfathomable that the person was serious. He was infamous, notorious, and even though his name was cleared—courtesy of The Chosen One— _as if_ someone couldn’t recognise him. What’s more, _as if_ someone would actually compliment-insult him and expect to get a date out of it. Presumptuous much?  
  
“Nope, not interested,” Draco repeated. “Besides, it could have been some other blonde guy he was talking to.”  
  
“Psh, it’s to you and you know it, I was shopping with you yesterday,” Pansy huffed. “And even I think your arse is incredible. C’mon, give him a try, what do you have to lose—”  
  
“My dignity? Oh wait, already lost that.”  
  
“—all you have to do is show up, and if this guy isn’t your type _—_ ” she coughed, though it sounded suspiciously like ‘ _if it’s not Potter_ ’ “ _—_ then just have a dinner with him and no harm done. Maybe he’ll recognise it’s you and turn tail himself.”  
  
“Thank you for the pep talk,” Draco drawled sarcastically. “I feel so great about this.”  
  
“Do it for me, I need some entertainment in my life,” Pansy pleaded.  
  
“That’s really not convincing me at all,” he deadpanned.  
  
“As your best friend, I will not allow you to be single of your own choosing when someone _clearly_ has the hots for you!” Pansy said, annoyed now. “You’ve no current priorities that you’ve not already accomplished or have set in the works, so, it’s time to work on your love life and if someone other than me is going to love you, you better put your incredible arse out there and see how it goes!”  
  
Draco sighed. He didn’t have the energy to go against Pansy. If meeting up with this guy was going to get her off his case, he’d do it. It was one measly date and if this bloke was a boring tit, he could easily cut away. And as Pansy said, maybe when the bloke would realise he had just hit up _Draco Malfoy, ex-Death Eater,_ he’d turn tail and run.  
  
Something about that thought made Draco's stomach churn unpleasantly.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Draco faltered.  
  
He had Apparated a block away and walked to The Leaky, readying himself to get this over and done with and realised: _What if he’s not there or doesn’t show up? What if I’m the wrong person? What if I can’t find a green-eyed person? What if this is a waste of my time—_  
  
There was no time to turn back, he’d walked through the door and wondered how the hell was he going to find a guy with green eyes—  
  
Draco could not have looked anywhere else if he tried.  
  
Harry fucking Potter was looking straight at him with a heated gaze that brought a slight flush to Draco’s cheeks and warmed his body.  
  
_Green-eyed Guy. It’s_ Potter. _Fuck, it’s Potter._  
  
His brain jumped to the only conclusion he could logically understand and with a _‘fuck you, Potter’_ mouthed angrily, Draco stormed outside and back to the Apparition point.  
  
_April fucking 1st. April Fool’s Day, fucking shit!_ Draco felt furious with himself more than with Potter as he failed to realise it beforehand.  
  
He did give himself a few seconds to feel flattered that Potter thought he had an incredible arse _—_ then again that could have been part of the prank. Draco scowled at that reminder.  
  
“Wait! Mal-Draco, wait! Please!” he heard Harry shout from behind him.  
  
In the next second, Harry had grabbed him and turned him around. “C’mon, Draco, please,” Harry said, catching his breath, his hands slipping down to grip both Draco's wrists.  
  
“Fuck you, Potter,” Draco repeated aloud, not caring who heard. He was burning with rage and sick with disappointment. “Was this your idea of a joke? It’s April 1st, ha-ha let’s have a laugh over Draco-ex-Death Eater-Malfoy coming out thinking someone would even invite him out for a date. Well, fuck you and your April Fool’s joke!”  
  
“Draco!” Harry said with a pleading tone, hands tight around Draco who was trying to wrestle out of his grip. “Draco, why would I have sent in that message the day before yesterday? I’m not that clever to plan that nor do I have the motive to prank or humiliate you! It’s just a coincidence. I really did want to have dinner with you, and talk with you!” **  
****  
**Draco’s heart was pounding, his body incredibly warm in the arms of Potter _—broad-shouldered, delicious smelling Potter—Merlin_ , he needed to think carefully.  
  
“Well,” Draco finally said when he gained some composure, pushing back from Potter to get some breathing room. “It’s the 1st of April and your prank has been successful, Potter, I do hope you’re satisfied,” he finished, ignoring everything Harry had just said.  
  
When Draco turned to Disapparate, Harry's tightened grip reminded him he would have carried the nutter with him. The point was to  _get away_ not  _bring him along._  
  
“This isn’t a joke, Draco! I honestly didn’t realise the timing or the date,” Harry said, in a tone that could persuade anyone to just _listen._  
  
“I was thinking of using a glamour but _—_ ”  
  
“Oh _yes,_ a glamour, because being even more deceived would have made the situation better!” Draco snarled.  
  
“ _—_ I just didn’t want to scare you off!” Harry said a bit too loudly.  
  
“W-what, why?” Draco asked, hating that he stuttered. “You don’t scare me,” he added a little pathetically.  
  
“I…I’ve honestly been thinking about you for a while, ever since I returned your wand. I…kept wanting to see you, I just didn’t know how to ask,” Harry said mildly and rubbed the back of his neck.  
  
“And you thought hitting me up through a tabloid I might not even have seen would be prudent?” Draco asked with a wry look. **  
****  
**“Look, I was embarrassed, okay _—_ no! _No,_ not of you, not at all because of you!” Harry quickly amended when he saw Draco’s face fall. “I was embarrassed that you’d reject me in person and I figured through the tabloid was a risk-free alternative… well, I was banking on the chance that you _would_ see it and show up.”  
  
Draco stared at him.  
  
“Reject _you_?" Draco scoffed. "What, like you rejected me when we were 11?” he muttered, not meaning to sound so bitter and upset. But he was.  
  
“I'm sorry! I'm honestly sorry. But we’re...different now, both you and I. We could...try, something new, something better,” Harry said softly, gently, coaxing Draco out from his shell.  
  
“And what if I hadn’t?” Draco breathed. “What if I hadn’t shown up tonight, what then?”  
  
Draco’s heart was beating loudly through his ears, his whole face was flushed but he refused to look at Harry in the eye and face the truth.  
  
“If you hadn’t, I was going to man up and ask you in person. I really was,” Harry said, softly. Draco didn’t even realise it but Harry had maneuvered them into a vacant alleyway and had cast a Muffliato and Disillusionment charm around them, keeping them out of the prying public eye.  
  
Closing his eyes in defeat, Draco shook his head softly.  
  
“I don’t think we could work,” Draco said. “I don’t think you’d like the real me. I thought you still hated me.” Draco’s admittance aloud surprised himself.  
  
“I don't hate you, Draco. You’re who I want to get to know. No more Hogwarts school rivalry, no more war..." Harry said delicately. "No more excuses, for either of us. I like you.”  
  
Harry's hand tentatively let go of Draco's wrists and stepped back. Draco looked at him then.  
  
_When did Potter get taller than me?_ Draco thought, distractedly amidst the  _Potter likes me, he likes me!_ chanting in his brain.   
  
“Can we please start over again?” Harry said and Draco's heart soared. He looked down slowly to the hand that was extended to him.  
  
_This was it. Moment of revenge._ _He could reject Potter, here and now._  
  
Draco smiled at the side of him that was annoyed that _this_ could be so simple after all the silent pining and heartache he'd been through. But Draco had long since surrendered to Harry bloody Potter.  
  
Draco grasped Harry’s hand, not meaning to be so breathless when he said, “I’m Draco. Draco Malfoy.”  
  
“I’m Harry. Harry Potter,” Harry grinned, hand still clasping Draco’s. “Fancy some dinner then, my blonde babe?”  
  
Draco almost physically swooned.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed reading!
> 
> I initially wrote this as an non-magic/college Drarry AU but then I went with this instead.
> 
>  
> 
> [I'm on tumblr!](http://jewel-imagines.tumblr.com).


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